What comes to your mind when you hear the word marketing? How does just the mention of the word marketing make you feel?  Do words like fear, uncertainty, pushy and sales come to mind.

The fact is that most therapists really aren’t great at marketing their practices or promoting their personal brand.  And really, it’s not your fault.  Unless you took some undergraduate business classes  you probably didn’t get any marketing training in school at all.

Even if you picked up on marketing techniques in the past many of the traditional old school marketing methods just don’t work anymore.   Many therapists are overwhelmed by the wild, wild west of web and social media marketing that  changes at such a rapid speed.  It’s hard to keep up for even the therapists who are tech savvy.

As a result many therapists by default neglect to develop  even a basic knowledge of marketing  needed to make themselves known in a crowded healthcare marketplace.

In this episode of the Functional Freedom Podcast I will help you get started with a marketing model that you can feel confident and successful.   I interview Tom Herschberger, a marketing expert, that has helped physical therapists build  trust connections  with their patients.  Nurturing long term relationships with your patients is as a key component to the long term growth of any practice.  A patient centered, value based marketing strategy should be an natural outflow of the trust and authority you build with your patients and referral sources.

I believe it is is a marketing approach that will make you think and feel differently about promoting your value as a therapist.   As you put into action the practical  steps mentioned in this episode  you’ll see your practice survive and thrive in these challenging times of health care reform.

In this episode,  here’s what we’ll cover:

• “In the absence of value the price is always a problem”

• The importance of empathy and thinking like a patient

• Current and former patients your most valuable marketing assets

• The importance of identifying your practice values and building your reputation around them

• Cultivating long term connections with former patients and physicians

• Practical suggestions on building marketing into your weekly clinic schedule

Please share an example from your practice  when your connection with a patient increased referrals.